The Center for Biological Diversity is calling for the government to reintroduce the western species of cougars to the area now that it has been ruled there’s no chance of cross-breeding.

A western cougar. Image via Getty/De Agostini

The organisation says the eradication of these large cats contrived to an overabundance of white-tailed deer, which has led to a decline in ground coverage and tree regrowth because of the deer’s eating habits.

“We need large carnivores like cougars to keep the wild food web healthy, so we hope eastern and midwestern states will reintroduce them,” conservation advocate Michael Robinson said.